PAC goes soft on embassy buildings sale fiasco
Panel chose not to assign blame over Tokyo, Jakarta buildings sale.
ISLAMABAD:
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Tuesday appeared to be going soft on top bureaucrats and a military general accused of selling two Pakistan embassy buildings in Indonesia and Japan at throwaway prices.
Earlier, it had succumbed to the general headquarters pressure on the issue of Rs1.8 billion National Logistic Cell scandal by surrendering its right of fixing responsibility to the GHQ. The matter involves high-ranking military officers.
The PAC directed the Secretary Foreign Affairs to take actions against the officials and inform the committee secretariat within a fortnight. It only conveyed its displeasure over the sale of two embassy buildings that caused million-dollar losses.
A PAC sub-committee said the Foreign Office sold old chancery and embassy residence in Tokyo in 2007 under a swap arrangement on single evaluation causing a loss of 6.3 billion Japanese yen. The evaluation company was chosen without advertisement, the purchase offer was a single offer and no advertisement was made. According to the report the inter-ministerial committee also approved the bid.
“I do acknowledge that all the points raised in the report are valid and … deal was struck in non-transparent manner,” said Salman Bashir.
The PAC stopped short of fixing responsibility on the then-ambassador to Tokyo Kamran Nayaz, the former Secretary Foreign Affairs Mohammad Riaz Khan, former Special Secretary Foreign Affairs Sher Afgan and the then Secretary Housing and Works and Additional Secretary Finance.
Jakarta land deal
In February 2002, then ambassador to Indonesia Mustafa Anwar sold the chancery building for $1.32 million, disclosed the sub-committee report. “The property was disposed of in a non-transparent manner, without advertisement and even the ambassador entered into a binding sale agreement with the buyer without the approval of the Ministry,” revealed the report.
Interestingly, the then Chief Executive of Pakistan General Pervez Musharraf condoned the irregularity and approved the deal after the sale of the building. “General Mustafa was instructor of General Musharraf,” said Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, the convener of the sub-committee.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 11th, 2011.
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Tuesday appeared to be going soft on top bureaucrats and a military general accused of selling two Pakistan embassy buildings in Indonesia and Japan at throwaway prices.
Earlier, it had succumbed to the general headquarters pressure on the issue of Rs1.8 billion National Logistic Cell scandal by surrendering its right of fixing responsibility to the GHQ. The matter involves high-ranking military officers.
The PAC directed the Secretary Foreign Affairs to take actions against the officials and inform the committee secretariat within a fortnight. It only conveyed its displeasure over the sale of two embassy buildings that caused million-dollar losses.
A PAC sub-committee said the Foreign Office sold old chancery and embassy residence in Tokyo in 2007 under a swap arrangement on single evaluation causing a loss of 6.3 billion Japanese yen. The evaluation company was chosen without advertisement, the purchase offer was a single offer and no advertisement was made. According to the report the inter-ministerial committee also approved the bid.
“I do acknowledge that all the points raised in the report are valid and … deal was struck in non-transparent manner,” said Salman Bashir.
The PAC stopped short of fixing responsibility on the then-ambassador to Tokyo Kamran Nayaz, the former Secretary Foreign Affairs Mohammad Riaz Khan, former Special Secretary Foreign Affairs Sher Afgan and the then Secretary Housing and Works and Additional Secretary Finance.
Jakarta land deal
In February 2002, then ambassador to Indonesia Mustafa Anwar sold the chancery building for $1.32 million, disclosed the sub-committee report. “The property was disposed of in a non-transparent manner, without advertisement and even the ambassador entered into a binding sale agreement with the buyer without the approval of the Ministry,” revealed the report.
Interestingly, the then Chief Executive of Pakistan General Pervez Musharraf condoned the irregularity and approved the deal after the sale of the building. “General Mustafa was instructor of General Musharraf,” said Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, the convener of the sub-committee.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 11th, 2011.